To Be the Company to Your Misery
by SilentAnokoku
Summary: Post-Radiant Dawn. RanulfxSoren. When being a good friend becomes something more.


_I DO NOT OWN FIRE EMBLEM IN THE SLIGHTEST!_

_Well, there is little to no RanulfxSoren out there to my knowledge. I suppose it is a crack pairing in a sense but whatever. I like it and am curious as to how it will be accepted (or, likely, rejected XD )._

_Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. If not, fine that's your personal opinion._

* * *

Ike had left.

The sword-wielding beorc had left, leaving many behind.  
Including him.

Not that it had really mattered. They had only been friends. Not to mention the new king had been wearing the cat laguz down with tasks and assignments after assuming rule.

Ranulf sighed as his tail twitched irritably. It had taken six long months, but he had finally managed to persuade King Skrimir to give him a break. He now found himself walking through the streets of Melior, Crimea.

"Why am I even here..?" the laguz muttered to himself. He supposed he could find some of his comrades from the recent wars, but he didn't want to reminisce that much. He preferred living in the present.

Ranulf's blue ears flattened briefly before they perked up at being addressed. Well, sort of addressed.

"Kitty Cat Man!"

He turned around in time to be embraced tightly by a pigtailed litle girl. "Oof..! Well, hello there, little one!"  
"Where have you been for so long?"  
"Back home in Gallia; busy. But I managed to sneak away~."  
As she giggled, another beorc spoke.  
"Amy, don't go bothering Ranulf. King Skrimir has been working him hard."  
"I was only giving him a hug, Mommy!" the freckled girl defended, returning to the blonde woman's side, regardless.  
"It's fine, Calil, I needed some cheering up anyways."  
The fire sage shook her head with a smile, "All right. So what brings you here?"  
"Nothing in particular, really. I guess I was hoping to find Ike had returned, but I probably would have found out if he had come back."  
"Ah, you and Soren both."  
"Soren?" the laguz's ears and tail flicked curiously. "Didn't he leave with Ike?"  
"You weren't aware? Ike wouldn't let him. He said it was a personal trip, or something to that effect." Calil shrugged, "Most likely some sort of mind easing journey, if you ask me."

"Perhaps...Well, I'll be seeing you. I remembered what I came to do." Without waiting for an answer, Ranulf pivoted and hurried off.

* * *

The cat laguz had heard a while ago of how Soren had left the Greil Mercenaries in Ike's absence. To Ranulf it wasn't any surprise. The wind mage was incredibly loyal to Ike and Ike alone.

Having already knocked, Ranulf was beginning to regret coming to the tactician's small home as red eyes glared at him coldly.

"What do you want?"  
"Some company, I suppose. How have you been, Soren?"  
"Well, Ike is not here- nor anywhere -so find yourself some company elsewhere."  
The blue furred laguz shook his head with a sigh, "Let me in, please?"  
After several minutes of glaring did not discourage the laguz, Soren relented, "Just don't stay long..."

Stepping into the mage's home, Ranulf shrugged off the instinctual wariness he always got around any of the branded. He briefly glanced about, seeing the bare necessities of a one-room home as well as many books scattered about in stacks.

"I see you still don't get out much."  
"I make a point not to," the dark haired branded retorted as he sat on his bed. Picking up a book, he flickered his red eyes over at a chair nearby, answering the question that the laguz was about to ask.  
Ranulf nodded as he slipped past several stacks of books to take a seat. Receiving no response, he watched the branded who was now reading in an attempt to ignore him. Though Ranulf hadn't been close to Soren, he knew from Ike- and from the mage's distress when bad things happened to Ike -that the branded was very attached to the ex-general. So, logically, he would be the most affected.

Ranulf frowned. If he had been very affected, the mage was certainly hiding it well. The laguz's tail began to twitch discreetly.

Most likely sensing the unwavering gaze upon him, Soren lifted his own gaze to raise an eyebrow at the laguz. "Is there any particular reason you happen to be staring?"  
"...Nothing you'd like hearing."  
"...Lovely."

The silence resumed when Soren looked back down at his book. However, it was a rather short-lived silence.

"...I guess I'll ask against my better judgement. How have you been taking Ike's departure?"  
Soren half-stared, half-glared at him incredulously before replying sharply, "None of your business."  
"Well it should be someone's business since Ike's not here to make it his bus-"  
"It is _my _business, and _my _business _alone_. Now isn't it about time you left?"  
Ranulf sighed and shook his head. '_Well he's **definitely** taking it well._' the cat laguz thought to himself as he rose from the chair, not wanting to push the mage too far. "Well, I suppose I will be going then."  
"Don't bother coming back."

"Don't count on it," the blue furred laguz smiled impishly, earning an acidy glare.

* * *

_This is going to have multiple chapters, and stuff. Probably not going to be too terribly long, but whatever._

_I hope you guys liked this, if not, oh well *shrug*_

_Anyways, I like reviews and feedback and all that jazz~_


End file.
